On Feb. 12, 1825, a group of Creek Indians led by William McIntosh signed the Treaty of Indian Springs, in which they ceded all of their remaining lands in present-day Georgia. Subsequently, in an act of June 9, 1825 (see text), the General Assembly provided that the land ceded by the treaty be divided into five sections, surveyed into districts and land lots, and distributed by land lottery (Ga. Laws 1825 Extra. Session., p. 3). [See map of sections] On Dec. 14, 1826, the legislature redesignated the five land sections as the counties of Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll and provided for their organization (Ga. Laws 1826, p. 57). [See map of five counties] [Click here to see legal description of Muscogee County's original boundaries.]

Despite the fact that the five counties were not named until Dec. 14, 1826, the date their respective boundaries were established -- June 9, 1825 -- is generally accepted as the date of their creation. Because the five counties were provided for in the same act, their order of creation is based on the order they were mentioned in the act -- Lee, Muscogee, Troup, Coweta, and Carroll. Thus, Lee was Georgia's 61st county, while Muscogee was 62nd.

Muscogee County was named for the Muscogee Indians, otherwise known as the Creek Indians.

In 1827, a portion of Muscogee County was used to create Harris County.

In 1969, the General Assembly created a special commission to draft a charter to consolidate the city of Columbus and Muscogee County into a single countywide government. [At the time, there was one other incorporated municipality in Muscogee County--the town of Bibb City. Its residents and officials decided not to be part of the consolidation, so it was exempted from the new charter.] In May 1970, voters of Columbus and Muscogee County approved the merger in separate referendums. Election of officials took place in Nov. 1970, and the new consolidated government went into effect on Jan. 1, 1971. Subsequently, in an act of Oct. 5, 1971, the General Assembly enacted the charter into law, although confirming the previous Jan. 1 as the effective date of the new consolidated government (Ga. Laws 1971 Extra. Session, p. 2007).

Bibb City, incorporated by superior court in August 1909, continued to function as an independent municipality through 2000. However, when the Bibb Mill closed in 1998, the town lost its principal source of tax revenue. In December 2000, the town council voted to give up its charter and become part of the Columbus-Muscogee consolidated government (see story). Consequently, the General Assembly in 2001 repealed Bibb City's charter.

Historical Maps

 

 

1826

 

1830

 

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1865

 

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1883

 

1885a

 

1885b

 

1895

 

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1904

 

1910

 

1915

 

1952

 

1955

 

1970a

 

1970b

 

1999

 

2001a

 

2001b

© Carl Vinson Institute of Government, University of Georgia

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